Things Change...

Yesterday was a day not like every other day.
Yesterday I woke without the usual Tuesday morning vigour for work.
It’s not easy going to work when your wife’s having niggly contractions. But you can’t stay home when she’s been having them for three days without development or result.
Yesterday I ate breakfast and took a shower just like every other day.
Yesterday I began as a man with a (pregnant) wife and one delightful little daughter.
Yesterday was much the same as any other day really.

Except for some significant differences.

Yesterday I came home from work early. Spurred by a call from my wife. Development!
Yesterday my work was done with my mind only half on the job.
The other half was just 6.5km down the road, attempting to support my wife.
I hurried home after she rang.
The hurry of Labour.
The hurry to greet a new life, which I get to share, and mould (somewhat!).
Yesterday I met my second daughter for the first time, the newest arrival to a quickly expanding family.
Frighteningly quickly at times.

Though frighteningly slow at others – like the last week when we’ve been waiting, and waking at every twinge or movement.

It’s a strange thing this.
Sometimes I feel like I’m not really living this life.
In the past few years there have been plenty of moments when I’ve almost felt the need to pinch myself. If only because I’ve read that that’s what you do to convince yourself that what you’re experiencing is real. To feel pain? As though pain were the only ‘real’ human experience.
I’d say joy is.
And wonder.
And awe.
And inspiration.

It’s those things that stop me and make me wonder at the reality of it all.

It’s an awesome, inspiring, wonderous and joyful thing to welcome a new child into the world. Yet there is that tinge of “oh crap – what now?”

Yesterday evening was one of those times.
We welcomed Lucy Emma Monastra into the world at the leisurely hour of 9.23pm.
The six hours or so before that weren’t quite so leisurely!
She weighs a healthy 8lb2oz. That’s 3.68kg for those who have no idea what a pound is.
Or an lb for that matter.
She’s a bit bigger than her big sister was at the same time.
You’ve got to be competitive to survive as a little sister you see.
She’s got lots of curly dark hair.
Like her mum.
Though she’s a bit thin on top and she’s got a receding hairline.
Like her dad.
And a delicate lip line.
Like her sister.

Mum is fine. Now.
Again, earlier yesterday she wasn’t as fine as she is now.
That’s the nature of labour though I think.
In answer to many prayers (pleading I think is the correct term) her tailbone did not dislocate this time.
So sitting, while not entirely comfortable, is more comfortable than it might otherwise have been.
And she’s not as hot as she was a day ago. Actually in truth she’s probably about the same temperature, but she FEELS cooler.
And Lucy does all the usual baby things like sucking, belching, sleeping, breathing, pooing, crying and so on.
She probably will do for quite some time yet.

We have wondered just how different Lucy will be from Abbey.
Some things change.
Some remain the same.
Which will be entirely exciting to experience over the next wee while.
However long a while is?

So we thought we’d stick with the theme. Change is afoot in our family reality (in terms of statistics, at least). So why not in other areas…

Like which country we live in?

So we’ve decided to move countries again.
Actually we probably decided a while ago.
Some changes take time.
Our family statistics took nine months to change.
It didn’t take us nine months to decide to move though.

New Zealand feels like a good place to set up ‘base camp’ for a while.
The land of the long white cloud. Aotearoa. Home (!?)
Though who knows how long a while is?
God only knows.
I guess.
Or at least I’ve read that somewhere too.

We’ve travelled a long way in the past few years.
Internally and externally.
We now have two children.
They say that two’s company. And three’s a crowd.
So what’s four then?
That’s like a proper family! Big enough to warrant changes in living status anyway.

From travellers just passing through.
To pausing, long enough to set up base camp.
I wonder how long base camp has been on Everest?
A travel site indicates trekkers have been trekking to base camp on the Nepalese side of Everest since 1953.
That’s 55 years.
That’s a while.

So I think we’ll go (home?) for at least a while.

We might have to make it home all over again.

Undoubtedly so.

We go with two new family members.
The adorable Abbey Elise Monastra, aged 20 months (by the time we get there)
And the equally as lovable Lucy Emma Monastra, who will be three months.
We go to add to an expanding brood of next generation Monastra’s, McBride’s and Lucas’ (as well as the Shay’s we both leave behind and take with us)
And we join a whole host of other friends whose families have expanded in our three years away.
And we’re really looking forward to it.
All four of us.

Because the great thing about small children is…
They seem to get excited about what you get excited about.
They also seem to be saddened by the things that sadden you.
They reflect the emotion you feel on the inside.
Which can sometimes be frightening.
Especially when your frightened.

But more often than not, it’s an overwhelming love.
Which is… well… lovely.
A love that inspires you to live better for their sake.
To live with a different fierceness, a different deliberateness.
More often than not it’s a complete joy.

A complete joy.

Like the kind of joy that is complete, or perhaps completed.
Completed but not finished. At least not yet
Who knows when this story will be finished?
God only knows.
True, God only knows.

More photos of the last 24hrs follow…

Where the major action happened

The hand says it all. Labour is hard work. Nuff said.

At first Lucy seemed a little blue. Both in a hollering screaming unhappy sense and in colour!

She quickly asserted her preference for photo's while feeling blue.Mum passing on happy news to waiting Granpies in NZ

Mum looking radiant (nothing to do with heat). Lucy in the best resting place on earth.

Lucy is a little camera shy I think

First shots of the three of us. Note Lucy's abundance of hair!

Is that a thumb in the mouth already?

A Great place to rest a weary head after a fast labour

First snuggles for a doting dad

Five was the magic number for the night. Though why will remain a secret for the moment! John seemed a little perturbed at being surrounded by females. He'll get used to it!Abbey and I had fun hiding (her) in the cupboard beside mum's bed.

My stirling, smiling, sweet-smelling wife.

And home time - with a full back seat!